Mangaluru: Police vehicles themselves are often seen being parked in ‘No Parking’ zones. When the police stop over on busy streets on duty, their vehicles are seen being parked parallel to the traffic lanes or even right on the lanes, causing traffic bottlenecks. Whether this is allowed or if they do it to show their clout has not been clarified by the higher-ups.
Such type of attitude on the part of the police personnel gives the public an impression that those in uniform have a ‘chalta hai’ or ‘might-is-right’ mindset when in khaki attire. Such an incident was the talk of the town on Wednesday, as a photograph of two persons in police uniform – a male and a female – riding a motorcycle went in wide circulation.
Otherwise there would not have been any fuss except for the fact that the woman sitting behind did not wear a helmet, in violation of the rule recently introduced. Maybe the cop riding the two-wheeler wanted to help a woman who was in a hurry to be in time for duty.
But some alert citizens grabbed the opportunity to tell the cops that everyone was equal in the eyes of the law, and clicked this rare shot on their mobiles and circulated it on social media and WhatsApp. It reached the police higher-ups also.
Investigations were made and the person who had the woman in his pillion was identified as Shridhar, an assistant police sub-inspector at the rural police station at Kankanady. The woman was one of the homeguards who are assisting the police in traffic management in the city.
A fine of Rs 100 was levied from the ASI.
Wow! Just 100 rs?